What is the derivation of the term "technical" for pickup trucks with MG mounts? What truly constitutes a "technical"? Any civilian vehicle used in a military capacity or is there a loose "specification" for these mobile corpse carriers?

Originally Posted By STLRN:Actually that is where the term originated.

My wife has told me that when she was in YCC (Youth Conservation Corp) that they used to travel around in old deuce-and-a-halfs and they called them technicals. Since this was in the late 70s, the Somali homies must have gotten the term from their stint with YCC, LOL. Probably learned to shot there too!

Could have sworn it came from the Toyota Wars. (Chad/Libya in the 1980s). My memory is a bit hazy on the issue, but I seem to recall journalists covering the war required locally acquired security people, it was written on the books as a 'Technical expense'

The thought that it came about in Somalia probably comes from the fact that Americans had no great reason to care what a converted pick-up truck was called as they never dealt with them before then.